Travel
Flight
Seoul–Incheon International Airport (INC)
Book your flights into Seoul looking up "Incheon International Airport" (INC). There are many different ways to get into the city depending on your preference. The airport and the transportation are very English friendly and easy. so don't worry! No Korean required. Please click the link below to see some choices of transportation from the airport to the city, and let us know if you have any questions or need suggestions. We're happy to help!
Travel Note
Where To Stay
We will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express Seoul Hongdae. We chose this hotel because it offers an excellent location and good value. This hotel is located in one of the busier, trendy areas of Seoul called Hongdae with easy access to both the subway to visit the whole city and an airport rail for ease of travel from and to the airport. If you would like to have a look at some hotels or Airbnbs on your own, we recommend staying in these areas of Seoul: Hongdae, Gangnam, Itaewon, Myeongdong, or Jong-ro. If you would like suggestions or ask about areas of Seoul, please reach out to us. With public transportation and so much to see in the city, you don't have to worry about staying so close to the wedding venue- we just recommend that you look for somewhere to stay near a subway station to make travel around the city easier.
Travel Note
Money
South Korea uses the Korean Won (KRW, ₩). ₩1,000 is equal to about $0.90 cents USD, or €0.80 EUR. Exchange rates fluctuate. To get an idea of some common prices: ₩5,000= $4.77 USD, €3.83 ₩10,000= $8.94 USD, €7.67 ₩15,000= $13.42 USD, €11.50 ATMs are everywhere, and cards are accepted at most places. VISA/Mastercard have no issues, but if you have something like Discover or American Express, your card may not be accepted. If you prefer cash, currency exchanges are available at the airport and around the city. We recommend carrying a mix of cash and card - which is what we plan to do. Split bills and paying for yourself is not usual - more restaurants or certain types of places will do this but it is common in Korea to have one check and work out who pays for what between each other. Tipping is not required and not customary in Korea.
Travel Note
Getting Around
Getting around Seoul is easy and affordable. The city has an amazing subway system, cheap taxis, and is easy to walk. You won't need to worry about renting a car. The costs per subway ride inside the city ranges from 1,250-1,350 Korean Won (less than $1.25 USD). Taxi's base fare starts at 3,000 Korean Won (about $2.70 USD). Most rides around town will range from $5 USD-$20 USD, with longer rides across the city ranging from $30 USD- $50 USD, depending on time. We plan to mostly use the subway based on moving around a group of people, but we can split taxis as needed. There is no Uber or Lyft in Korea. Google Maps doesn't work in as well in Korea as it does in other countries. We suggest downloading "Naver Maps" - think of it as a Korean Google Maps. It is available in English. For the subway, download an app called "Subway" - you can search for it in your app store by typing in "subway Korea".
Travel Note
Mobile Data
WiFi is very common in Seoul, in stores, cafes, and restaurants. We recommend getting a portable wifi hotspot (an "egg"). Click the link to see how you can reserve one for yourself at the airport for pick up and drop off. You can get 1GB of data per day for about $3USD-$4USD. If you would like to get a prepaid data SIM card for your phone, there are counters for phone companies in the arrivals terminal of Incheon Airport. We recommend using KT or SK, they are the 2 largest phone carriers in the country and will have no issues working with an unlocked phone.